Justice ministry toughens stance against info leaks of ongoing cases to media

The Ministry of Justice announced a series of measures to reform "inappropriate" investigative practices by prosecutors Wednesday, with a focus on banning the unauthorized disclosure of information on ongoing probes to media. The ministry, among other things, specified conditions for the publication of allegations in criminal cases, in an effort to prevent investigators from revealing information about ongoing cases that could result in false reporting and human rights violations. As

July 14, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Japan never admitted a thing’

On Wednesday, single-person protests took place in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul calling for an apology from the Japanese government and demanding it redress its colonial sexual slavery. Unlike the 1,400th demonstration that garnered thousands of people on site, due to the pandemic the 1,500th protest was held in the form of one-person protests -- still watched by thousands of people around the world online. The Wednesday protests first began on Jan. 8, 1992 and have been held every

July 14, 2021

S. Korea to toughen social distancing in regions outside greater Seoul amid virus flare-up

South Korea announced Wednesday it will elevate the social distancing scheme in regions outside the greater Seoul up one notch, as concerns of a fourth wave of new COVID-19 outbreaks over the summer grow stronger. The decision to implement Level 2 guidelines in regions outside Seoul, the western port city of Incheon and Gyeonggi Province on Thursday was announced in an interagency COVID-19 response meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum. Kim explained the decision was reached as the nu

July 14, 2021

Fully remote schooling starts in greater Seoul amid record-breaking virus surge

All schools in the greater Seoul area switched to online classes full-time Wednesday as the country has seen record-breaking coronavirus infections. The measure will remain effective until July 25 in Seoul, Incheon, 40 kilometers west of the capital, and Gyeonggi Province. By then, most schools will be closed for summer vacation. According to the Ministry of Education, 93.7 percent of elementary schools, 98.8 percent of middle schools and 99.1 percent of high schools will begin a one-month hol

July 14, 2021

New cases spike to fresh high of over 1,600, non-Seoul area also under toughened curbs

South Korea's daily virus cases hit yet another fresh high Wednesday as the country battles the fourth wave of the pandemic amid woes over rising delta variant cases and a slow vaccination process.    The country added 1,615 new COVID-19 cases, including 1,568 local infections, raising the total caseload to 171,911, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).    The daily figures have stayed above 1,000 for eight consecutive days.    Conc

July 14, 2021

‘Vaccine hopes shattered’: First day of sign-up ends in disappointment for many Koreans

Monday was a big day for 50-somethings in South Korea. The reservations for long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines finally opened up, to last until Saturday. Those who sign up would get their first doses of the vaccine made by Moderna later this month. But at around 2 p.m. the online and over-the-phone system for vaccine booking shut down altogether having opened at midnight. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, which oversees the vaccination campaign, said that they couldn’t tak

July 13, 2021

Incoming Vatican Prefect You Heung-sik vows to foster priests for the current era

SEJONG -- South Korean archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik said Tuesday he will make "cultivating Catholic priests the era calls for" his top priority as the new prefect of Congregation for the Clergy of the Holy See. Last month, You was named to the post responsible for overseeing education and other matters regarding about 500,000 priests and deacons across the globe. The 69-year-old Catholic priest is the first South Korean appointed to a secretary position at the Vatican. "I w

July 13, 2021

[News Focus] 1 in 8 Korean women aged 70 or over

SEJONG -- Female Koreans are greatly contributing to the situation of the nation heading toward becoming a superaged society, as their average age and life span are far higher than those of men. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the number of women aged 70 or over here came to 3.38 million as of June. This age group made up 13 percent (more than 1 in 8 women) of the total female population of 25.9 million. This contrasted from the portion of men aged 70 or over of the total ma

July 13, 2021

S. Korea reports 252 breakthrough infections, 143 of them with Janssen vaccine

South Korea has confirmed a total of 252 breakthrough COVID-19 infections involving people who tested positive for COVID-19 even after being administered with the full-dose vaccine regimen here, health authorities said Tuesday. Of the total, 143 were administered with Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine followed by 59 with Pfizer's and 50 with AstraZeneca's, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The KDCA said similar cases may increase as the country's vacci

July 13, 2021

Uptick in delta variant cases in store amid 4th wave of pandemic

South Korea has confirmed 536 more cases of four major contagious variants of the new coronavirus over the past week, including 374 cases of the highly transmissible delta variant, health authorities said Tuesday. The caseload of such infections reached 3,353 here, with the number of delta cases first reported in India tallied at 790, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Of the newly confirmed variant cases over the cited period, there were 395 local infections

July 13, 2021

2022 minimum wage set at 9,160 won, falling short of Moon’s campaign promise

South Korea has set its minimum wage level for 2022 at 9,160 won ($8) per hour, up 5.05 percent from this year’s 8,720 won, after labor and business presented vastly different views on how the rate should be set to assist those suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minimum Wage Commission chose the middle ground. Yet the agreement reached late Monday was not well received, drawing fire from both labor and business representatives. The commission consists of 27 members, nine each from

July 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] Both employers and hard-line labor groups disgruntled with new minimum wage

The Minimum Wage Commission's decision on Monday to raise next year's minimum hourly wage 5.1 percent to 9,160 won ($7.98) drew heavy criticism from employers' and hard-line labor groups. Officials at the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), the more moderate of South Korea's two major umbrella labor unions, said Tuesday they will accept the state commission's minimum wage decision. But the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), an umbrella union known for its militant labor movemen

July 13, 2021

Seoul records 1st 'tropical night' of year

Seoul recorded the year’s first “tropical night” from Monday evening through Tuesday morning, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Tuesday. Usually observed during summertime in Korea, tropical nights are defined as when minimum temperatures hit 25 degrees Celsius or above after 6 p.m. and before 9 a.m. According to the KMA, this year’s first tropical night in Seoul happened 23 days earlier than it did last year. The sweaty nighttime phenomenon was also recor

July 13, 2021

Scorching heat wave blankets South Korea

The scorching weather continued to grip South Korea on Tuesday with heat advisories and warnings in place for most of the country. Forecasters warned a stronger heat wave will strike next week following an early end of the monsoon season. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecast daytime highs will rise above 33 C in Seoul, Daejeon, Gangneung, Jeju and other cities, and to 35 C in Daegu on Tuesday. Heat alerts have been in effect across the country. Heat advisories and warnings a

July 13, 2021

New cases above 1,000 for week; delta variant fast spreading

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose by more than 1,000 for the seventh consecutive day Tuesday, as worries ran high over a further uptick in new infections amid the fast spread of the more contagious delta variant and the summer season despite toughened virus curbs. The country added 1,150 new COVID-19 cases, including 1,097 local infections, raising the total caseload to 170,296, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally is slightly up from 1,100

July 13, 2021

Next year's minimum wage set at W9,160 in 5.1% on-year increase

A national commission on Monday set next year's minimum hourly wage at 9,160 won ($7.98) in a 5.1 percent on-year increase. The Minimum Wage Commission, which is composed of nine members each from labor, business and the general public, struck the agreement around midnight during a plenary session held at the government complex in Sejong. During the negotiations, the labor side had called for a significant increase from this year's 8,720 won, while the management side had called for a freeze,

July 13, 2021

Rival party leaders agree to give COVID-19 relief aid to all citizens

The leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties agreed Monday to give the next round of COVID-19 relief aid to all citizens, not just select groups, their spokespeople said.    Song Young-gil, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), and Lee Jun-seok, chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), reached the agreement during a meeting over dinner.    "The two leaders appear to have reached a consensus that (the handouts) should be given to the

July 12, 2021

11 USFK-affiliated people test positive for COVID-19

Six US Forces Korea (USFK) service members and five other affiliated individuals tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Monday, the latest in a series of infections from American military bases in South Korea.    Three of the six soldiers were from Camp Casey in Dongducheon, north of Seoul, and one each from Camp Carroll in the southeastern city of Daegu and the Osan and Kunsan Air Bases, according to the USFK.    The remaining cases were one Korean

July 12, 2021

Jailed Samsung heir's trial put off as top court advises courts be adjourned to control COVID-19

Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong's trial has been postponed after the Supreme Court advised last week that court proceedings be suspended in the greater Seoul area for two weeks amid record-setting coronavirus cases. The vice chairman of Samsung Electronics has been on trial over a controversial merger of two Samsung affiliates and alleged accounting fraud since October last year. In September, he was charged with unfair trading, stock manipulation and breach of trust in relation to the 2015 me

July 12, 2021

Seoul city's digital map adds feature showing crowd sizes at virus testing centers

The Seoul city government's official digital map has newly added a feature showing the level of crowds at COVID-19 testing centers across the city, according to officials Monday. The Smart Seoul Map, available at the URL address https://map.seoul.go.kr/smgis2/short/6NjT7, was updated to reveal the level of crowds in line waiting to be tested at some 80 testing centers across the city, according to city officials. The crowed sizes are divided into three categories -- normal, busy and crowded --

July 12, 2021